I read the OP and then didn't read the thread, but this is standard practice in programming interviews and shouldn't be thought of as a negative. I'm actually amazed at how actuarial interviews DON'T have problem solving questions at least for some small percentage of the interview. Part of why I think EL hiring is mostly random in this field once the minimum requirements are met.

Actually, I think you guys misunderstood what I meant by theory of going first vs last. I don't mean to ask what going first vs last says about what they think of me. I mean to ask what psychology effect the first interviewee will have on the interviewer as opposed to the last interviewee.

Obviously, the interviewer will remember the last interviewee more than the first. Who does that help?

I think that I take notes when I interview, and there's usually enough time between the last interview and when we can all get together to make a decision that I've had time to forget details about all of them. Which is why I take notes.

...how actuarial interviews DON'T have problem solving questions at least for some small percentage of the interview. ...

Some do, you know. Especially at el. I gave two problems to the last round of (non el) candidates I interviewed, an easy one and a hard one. Both were relevant to the job, though, neither was a brain teaser. But they were about topics I didn't expect the candidates to have done before. Most of them gave a creditable answer to the easy one, and none were able to answer the hard one.

And people have mixed opinions on the value of brain teaser questions, including the people who ask them. I've never asked them (it's uncommon in actuarial interviews) but I have a lot of friends in computer science, and they ask them. Just last week, a woman told me, "I used to think these questions were total bullshit, until I started asking them. Now I feel I sometimes learn something. Some people give really weird answers. Like the guy I talked to last week who refused to answer. 'i don't do brain teasers', he said. 'it's okay, I'll walk you through it'. 'no, I don't do that.'... So, what else won't he do? What if I give him a task at work that he doesn't like?"

That is precisely what those questions are designed to do. They are not for interviewee to figure out the answer . They are for the interviewer to figure out the interviewee.
Just like every other question asked at an interview.

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I think that I take notes when I interview, and there's usually enough time between the last interview and when we can all get together to make a decision that I've had time to forget details about all of them. Which is why I take notes.

That is, I don't think it matters enough for you to worry about it.

I pretty much just remember a binary answer: Hire/don't. Not sure if I'd do better with notes, but it has been a problem when my answer was Yes, and another interviewer was "No because... "and I wasn't sure if we'd discussed anything relevant. Only really was an issue with EL hiring, where you meet a lot of people in a short period. Pretty much agree with your last sentence regardless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hello, My Baby

I read the OP and then didn't read the thread, but this is standard practice in programming interviews and shouldn't be thought of as a negative. I'm actually amazed at how actuarial interviews DON'T have problem solving questions at least for some small percentage of the interview. Part of why I think EL hiring is mostly random in this field once the minimum requirements are met.

Most of the skills that the problem solving questions cover are already covered on the first couple exams, so I think it has less value for actuaries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppermintPatty

So, what else won't he do? What if I give him a task at work that he doesn't like?"

Part of the issue here is, this is really a huge problem for somebody that you're expecting to take directions and work on what you want them to. Something closer to strategy or executive roles, can be a great answer - "Oh, guy refuses to work on stuff he considers stupid, that's good....". Wouldn't be surprised if this came from somebody that is an EL or close, and when reading interview tips he saw Jeff Imelt say that's how he handled it, and he thought "I should copy that" without really understanding what's going on.

Reminds me of a friend that does exec recruiting and part of his value proposition is that he does a bunch of psychological eval stuff - Meyers-Briggs and similar. And he was working for this guy that was just very pushy/aggressive and pretty much just the stereotype of investment banker - think Gordon Gekko or Wolf of Wall Street. And my friend told him about all the stuff they test to vet candidates, and the response was not to worry about such things, as he didn't care about that crap. And then he came back and said "F that, I do care, anybody willing to take your dumb tests is worthless, I don't even want to see their resume".

First, you likely have very little control on what order you are seen in.

Second, you very likely do not have any objective means to determine where you currently are in the overall order of interviewing.

Bottom line, you should be focused more on those things you have control over. Knowing your competition might help you identify skills you might work on while waiting for an interview. But working to be the best you you can possibly be will work far better long term than trying to acquire a short-term gain with little benefits.

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